Course Overview for the Certificate in Museum Studies, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

Program Courses

To limit our community's exposure to COVID-19, the spring quarter will now commence on April 4. Online courses may have adjusted dates, but will otherwise run as usual. On-campus courses will be conducted remotely until April 27; University leaders will decide by April 17 whether to continue remote teaching or to return to in-person instruction on April 27. Updated information for affected courses can be found in the scheduling notes area under the course description.

MUSEUM 371-DL : Successful Museum Management

Description

This interactive course explores the organization, governance, and management of museums, with a focus on real-world problem solving. We consider the role of the board, the museum president, staff, and volunteers. Topics include team building, strategic planning, governance, organizational structure, fundraising and membership, marketing and public relations, collections management, exhibit development and design, evaluation, budgeting and finance, risk assessment, government affairs, and museum relevance. Students, instructor, and museum guest lecturers together critically examine current issues in the museum world, such as technological impacts, funding strategies, relevance to new audiences, virtual museums, and economic impacts. With guidance from museum professionals, students take on real projects at real museums. Past projects have ranged from marketing plans to volunteer recruitment strategies to exhibit development to retail planning.

Students have the option to participate in a live weekly synchronous session with the instructor and fellow students, as well as one or two guest museum experts. This session will be as announced. Those whose schedules don’t allow them to participate live can access the session recording. The instructor is available via phone, email or online office hours to help students keep up with the brisk pace of this course and its practical applications. Get ready to have fun, network with museum professionals, and either advance your museum career or explore whether a museum career is right for you.

Course Materials:

Course materials are included in the cost of tuition and will be provided via the online course site.

Registered students can access their online course site here. An activated NetID and password is required for login. *Please note: It may take up to 24-hours for registered students to be added to the online course platform.

Additional Information:

This course is offered during the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.